Building Information Modelling (BIM)

At Expedition, Building Information Modelling (BIM) principles of collaboration, communication and information sharing are fully embedded into our way of working. To support this, we have built up a comprehensive set of digital engineering analysis, design and documentation tools. Nevertheless, we are always striving to develop and deploy new ways to improve our designs and communicate our ideas.

BIM uses digital technology to enable a collaborative design process, and ultimately to help deliver better projects. It brings benefits across a project from improved communication leading to more informed decision making, to better coordination reducing site errors. The combination of technology and process can be used to achieve better designs, lower build and whole-life costs, and reduced programmes.

Since 2012 we have used Revit as our default platform to create our models and extract integrated design information. However, we also use a range of software to support more advanced modelling or model interrogation. The modelling of each project is overseen by our dedicated BIM manager Stephan Schneller to ensure appropriate modelling practices are developed and adopted for a given project and project team.

We are BIM Level 2 ready, and we can offer this as a base level of service. However, we believe that different projects offer different opportunities to realise further value through BIM. For this reason, we review each project individually in its early stages, and tailor our process accordingly to unlock the greatest benefit.

Examples of the benefits we realise using BIM include:

Improving decision making and design quality

Minimised the extent of structural interventions needed at the Selfridges department store in London, through detailed investigation of digitally-captured survey data and modelled archive information.

Monitored improvements in embodied carbon of the design for a development in King’s Cross using information extracted from the BIM.

Accelerated development and testing of design options for the Stage by the Sea in Littlehampton, allowing the structural form to be developed for structural efficiency while realising the architectural design intent.